Booty Hunters
by koriandrgirl
Summary: **Leo Valdez x OC x Carter Kane love story** This is a bounty hunter AU where the demigods chase gold, glory, and the gods' favor, seeking power. Danger lurks around every corner, and the Greeks and Romans have battled viciously over bounties. But after a strange encounter in Brooklyn, Kori discovers there's another faction of demigods living in NYC. **SMUT/LEMON WARNING**
1. DISCLAIMER

DISCLAIMER:

Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters in the Percy Jackson or Kane Chronicles series; all rights and characters belong to Rick Riordan. All characters in the story are over the age of 18 and if you're reading this you should be too! Graphic adult content ahead, possible drug and alcohol use. Don't say I didn't warn you.

** Bounty Hunter AU **

Kori is my character. This is a totally self indulgent smut fic, because I love these two and there aren't enough lemons of these curly haired cuties if you ask me. Here's a quick run down of me, the main character, to get an idea in your head, though more details are revealed as the story progresses.

KORI ANNE FILLAPELLI

AGE: 20

APPEARANCE: African American and Italian descent. kinky curly pink hair and peanut butter colored skin. normally half-lidded brown eyes and freckles across the nose.

SEXUALITY: bisexual and polyamorous

MOTHER: Hekate, goddess of magic, the moon, ghosts, crossroads, and the night.

FAMILY: she lived with her dad in Dallas where her powers remained dormant until she was 13. It wasn't until another four years though that Leo, Piper, and another daughter of Hekate named Neviah were sent by Chiron to bring her to Half-Blood HQ.

ABOUT: Aries rising Pisces sun Scorpio moon; loves to wear black, tells fortunes and collects bounties for drachma, is a complete stoner, spaces out a lot, somewhat obsessed with getting stronger


	2. Ch1: A Full Moon

**KORI'S POV**

It was a full moon.

That should've been my first warning that this wasn't going to be an average night. And that's saying a lot considering what an average night in _my_ shoes consists of.

Police sirens blared through the icy city streets, their wails drawing ever nearer with each passing second. High rise buildings melded into the inky black skyline, their lights being outshined only by that of the moon and the stars above.

The sound of guilty feet pounded against the pavement, pushing through crowds of people and eliciting some choice words from the unfortunate few who got trampled in their wake. My own maniacal laughter bubbled up out of my chest and filled the night air, dancing in the frosty wind.

There was something so undeniably thrilling about running for my life.

A curse flew from my lips as red and blue lights rounded the street corner ahead, the cop car pulling out to block us from going any further in this direction.

There was a deliberate tug on my olive green puffer coat, and a familiar voice spoke to me urgently. "Quick, this way."

My cohort darted down a darkened alleyway between a ratty convenience store and a cheap Chinese restaurant. I quickly followed suit just as our blue uniformed pursuers stepped out of their vehicle. A smell like poverty and old lo mein assaulted my senses, and I clamped my nose shut as I travelled deeper into the alley.

All of a sudden, my free hand was pulled forcefully, and I was brought into a tight embrace behind a greasy dumpster. My mouth was covered with a large hand with a strange cheesy aroma that rivaled that of this dumpster filled alleyway.

"Shh!" I was told.

From just outside the alleyway, I could just make out the sound of a police dispatch radio.

"...Yeah we've lost sign of the perpetrators... Copy that... Roger, returning to the station..."

I heard a sigh of relief, and after waiting to be sure the police car drove off, the hand was released from my mouth.

"Phew, glad that's over—"

"Yuck!" I spat, whirling around. "Don't do that ever again! I've got no clue where your hands have been."

I was greeted with a large pair of intelligent yet mischievous brown eyes that usually darted from one thing to the next, but were trained on me at the moment, regarding me with amusement. His deeply tanned skin reflected glowed in the pale moonlight. The curly hair and elvish ears added to his whole "up to no good" look.

A crooked smirk spread across the young man's face, and he rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Wanna know where they're going later?"

I rolled my eyes to the back of my head, thoroughly disgusted. "Gods, Valdez."

"Can't set me up like that." Leo stated simply with a shrug and his signature grin.

I fluffed my curly pink hair, gazing up at the moon anxiously. There wasn't much time for chitchat. "Looks like we've got about an hour until midnight. You still got the thing right?"

Leo patted his pockets frantically, making my heart skip a beat, but then he smirked once more and pointed to his tool belt. "I told you, it's safe and sound in here, Kori. _Relaaaax_."

I took a deep breath.

Maybe he was right. I just wanted everything on this mission to go _perfectly_. If I succeeded in carrying out my mother Hekate's bidding tonight, she'd bless me with incredible powers of the moon. Enhanced night vision, powerful healing abilities, and just all around badassery.

I couldn't despair in the fact that we were living in some of the most dangerous times yet for demigods. In fact, that's exactly what drove me to want to become stronger. It's not enough that we have monsters trying to kill us, but now there's these Roman demigods trying to muscle their way into our turf and take money out of our pockets. Not to mention the violence that's come of it has got the mortal police thinking any young adult wearing orange or purple is in a gang.

See, the way my world works is simple— as long as everyone plays their role, that is. The gods stay the in the heavens above where they belong (trust me it's way less messy for everyone involved), and whenever they need a vicious beast killed or an ancient artifact recovered or some other stupid thing, they post bounties for adventurous young demigods like me to do their bidding. Now it may seem like grunt work (and if I'm being honest, it usually is) but those damn gods sure know how to set a reward!

My eyes glazed over, and my mouth began to water in delight as I thought about the wealth, power, and status that would quickly follow if I succeeded tonight. I'm already great at communing with and controlling spirits, manipulating the Mist, and I was pretty handy with the amethyst encrusted whip I carried on my hip. With moon magic added to my arsenal, I'd surely be one of the strongest demigods at—

"Whoa! Kori! There's a whole uneaten beef and broccoli combo in here! What kind of a sucker would just throw this away?!"

I was reluctantly stirred from my thoughts, and my head snapped over to see Leo reaching so deeply that he was halfway submerged in a dumpster, diving around for old leftover Chinese food.

"Oh, gods, Leo, get outta there!" I cried exasperatedly, tugging on his army jacket. "We're never gonna make it to Brooklyn in time!"

"But... but... but," He sputtered helplessly as I fished him out of the smelly bin. Geez why was he so good at making that puppy dog face? "There were egg rollsssss!"

" _Bleh!"_ I pinched the tip of my nose and kept a wide berth from his stank radius. "After we get paid for this gig, I'll buy you all the damn egg rolls you want!"

His eyes instantly lit up with joy, and he rocketed to his feet with newfound vigor. "Yahoo! Let's go!"

I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh as he barreled out of the alleyway and down the street going full speed. Chasing after him, I felt a sinking feeling in my gut that I initially took as apprehension, but quickly shook off as mere excitement.

Gods, how wrong I was.

This night was only beginning.


	3. Ch2: The Milk Man

**KORI'S POV**

I'm not a fan of the cold.

We stood on the edge of the Brooklyn Bridge. The icy water below churned viciously, and cars whizzed back and forth across the bridge nonstop. My fur lined puffer coat kept me insulated from most of Jack Frost's bitter touch, but I mean early March in New York?

Oh yeah, you're gonna feel the chill.

"Are you sure you know where this is supposed to go down?" Leo called over the howling winds, his cheeks and the tip of his nose rosy from the cold.

I scowled at his assumption. "Yeah, trust me I know what I'm doing. You just make sure not to lose... _the thing._ "

He bit his lip, trying and failing to keep the delight out of his voice. "You don't remember what it's called, do you?"

"I know what it's called!" I said quickly. "It's the uh.. the... the thingy. _You know_. _The thing!"_

The cocky grin plastered on his features told me he was very pleased with himself. He muttered something under his breath, but it was utterly lost in the wind.

I grabbed my black amethyst encrusted whip from its holster and cracked it in the air, purple sparks flying from the weapon's tip. "Just shut up and let me find the crossroads."

The sound of his snickering fades into the background noise of the city.

I took a deep breath in, channeling my magical energy. The raw amethyst gems embedded in my whip's hilt glowed, feeding off of my magic and traveling down the length of the weapon until every crystal glowed softly with purple energy. Now, I was able to control the whip as if it were an extension of my own body.

I cracked the whip upwards, and it wrapped around one of the bridge's support beams tightly. I held my breath as I swung against the tension and was slingshotted up to the support beam. At my will, the whip unfurled, and I repeated the process until I had successfully scaled the Brooklyn Bridge.

The view was pretty spectacular.

I was about 150 feet in the air, easily high enough to see the roads that crossed and intersected with that of the Brooklyn Bridge, especially with the streetlights illuminating the paths. The Manhattan Bridge was about a mile away on my left side.

The raging harbor swelled and crashed against the rocks below. I made a square with my hands by pressing my thumbs on each hand to my index fingers on the others forming a window and scanned the landscape before me.

"Hmm... crossroads... crossroads... cross—"

My voice died in my throat.

Standing on the Manhattan Bridge in stark contrast to the black of night, was a lone figure dressed in what appeared to be billowing white robes. Even if I was able to make out their face from this distance, it was covered with a white shawl. Something about their energy set my body on high alert.

I had to look closer to understand.

I closed my eyes and hummed with energy, feeling the familiar coiling in my stomach whenever I used my powers. When my eyes reopened, my vision looked almost thermal as I looked at the figure again with new eyes. Now I was able to see their aura, and it extended around them by almost two feet, blazing brilliant red and gold waves rippled like an ocean around their silhouette. It was a beautiful sight, and I couldn't tear my gaze away.

But from the way my stomach was turning in knots, I knew the figure was staring right back at me.

 _I'm wasting time._

I cursed and managed to pry my eyes away for a moment just long enough to quickly scan the area for the crossroads. _There_. I spotted an ideal three-way fork in the road in a warehouse district not far from here. I turned my attention back to the Manhattan Bridge, and my heart stopped.

The mysterious figure was gone.

I cursed again and descended my perch atop the bridge as quickly as I could. My mind was racing at top speed with nothing but unanswered questions. _Who the heck was that? What the heck were they doing up there? And why were they watching me?_ Frigid winds nipped at my cheeks and lips all the way down.

One thing was for sure: I didn't like this new development at all.

My black Timberlands met the cement sidewalk of the bridge with a satisfying thud.

Leo appeared from behind a huge suspension pillar. "Ya know, for someone in a rush, you sure took your sweet candy ass— what happened?" His jokey attitude vanished after his eyes scanned my face.

I bit my lip, a little taken aback by his perceptiveness at first, but I guess I owed him more credit than that. Despite his usual silliness and general "wild card" factor, there was a reason Leo was one of the few people I trusted with my life.

I nodded my head in the direction of the crossroads. "Come on, let's walk and talk."

Stacks of shipping crates with faded and chipped paint made it clear that we'd arrived in the warehouse district of Brooklyn. The sound of the busy city around us somehow seemed duller and softer here. It was almost peaceful.

Up until I finished telling Leo what I'd seen, and he decided to _never shut the fuck up about it._

I know I shouldn't complain. He always came up with great ideas when we brainstormed. I couldn't even count how many times he's saved my butt with his quick thinking, but gods could the guy talk my ears off.

It wasn't his fault though. Leo was just the kind of ADHD where you get super excited, talkative, and suddenly bursts of energy; whereas I was the daydreamer and schemer with a tendency to get lost in thought but act on impulse. I figured our dynamic was what made us such a great team.

Almost as if on cue, my eyes unglazed over, and I noticed Leo looking at me expectantly. Crap, he totally just said something to me.

"Uh, you're right?" I took a shot in the dark.

The son of Hephaestus nodded fervently. "Yes. Never forget that... but I know you spaced out again."

I twirled my bubblegum pink curls sheepishly. "Sorry. What'd you say? The abridged version, please." I added quickly.

"I said," Leo began, "whoever this Masked Milk Man is—-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I chuckled and held my hands up. "I don't remember voting on that name."

"It's just temporary, I'm not too fond of it either," he admitted. "Anyway, the guy you saw could be that Roman demigod I've been hearing about... Jason something? He's the son of Zeus— er, well his Roman counterpart."

"Oh great, that's all we need," I griped bitterly. My dreams of being the most powerful demigod in New York seemed to flicker and fade from my mind's eye. "Some big shot Roman who can fly. That is _**so**_ overpowered."

"Agreed. And that's coming from the fire guy."

I spotted the fork in the roads dividing the streets like Poseidon's Triton itself and pointed it out to Leo. I glanced at the position of the moon, and a wave of relief washed over me. I was still in this. I was so close to being the strongest demigod in the city.

"Hell yes, we're just in time for the witching hour. Quick, Leo, do the thing!"

I slung my cosmic patterned knapsack off my back and grabbed my satchel of crystals, piece of chalk, and black sheep's wool. The crossroads itself was on the actual road, and the traffic was still too busy right now for me to do the entire ritual over there.

I eyed one of the many seemingly abandoned shipping containers, an idea popping into my head.

Good thing I knew how to improvise.

I hastily drew a huge circle on a nearby shipping container before furiously sketching the rest of the Ancient Greek rune around its circumference. The textured surface made the magic circle look like it was drawn on a crinkly potato chip.

I cringed at the sight and prayed Hekate would forgive my sloppiness.

"Is it supposed to look all... italicized like that?" Leo's voice sounded right behind me.

I groaned dejectedly. "Ugh, it's utter shit."

"Aww, cheer up, mamí," the fire user grinned, holding up a golden amulet set with an enormous red gem. "Look, I did the thing."

My heart swelled with joy as he handed me the gorgeous, glittering jewel. "Yes! Thank you so much for keeping this safe, Leo. I seriously owe you one."

The curly haired young man mumbled something I couldn't quite make out, though I did catch the tips of his pointed ears turn a deep shade of red. Before I was able to inquire about it, though, the amulet in my palms vibrated with energy.

When I gazed into the ruby, I saw three ghostly apparitions floating freely in its depths. I heard their wails and moans of pain, and I felt their despair. Though I couldn't remember the ancient name of this amulet, I distinctly remember hunting three different vengeful spirits and imprisoning them inside of it.

They were dangerous, I chided myself for pitying the souls. Each of them had killed mortals and wouldn't have stopped if Leo and I never came along. But still...

"Kori!"

Leo's voice, urgent and warning, snapped me out of my trance.

The muscles in his jaw tensed and tightened, his fists clenching tightly. There was no mistaking the slight rise in ambient temperature around him. I swallowed hard and reached for my whip before my eyes were even done following his steely gaze.

Because I knew that stance.

While Leo's body seemed to be radiating heat, my blood ran cold, and my fingers twitched around the amethyst hilt at my hip. A look of utter disbelief washed over my face.

Perched atop the storage unit I had just graffitied with an Ancient Greek rune, was the mysterious figure clad in billowing white cloth from head to toe.

Their piercing golden brown eyes narrowed into lethal slits directed right at me.

"Great," Leo muttered. "The Milk Man is here."


	4. Ch3: Worlds Collide

**KORI'S POV**

So many thoughts were running through my mind that I figured my head would just explode any minute from overexertion.

For what seemed like forever, no one said a word. Those almost glowing bronze eyes, still as intense and dangerous as before, remained trained on me, unwavering. It was difficult for me to tear my own gaze away from them.

I chewed my lip and glanced at the moon. Gods, we were running out of time.

Finally, I outstretched my hand in an attempt at a placating gesture. "Chill, bruh, we don't want any trouble—"

"I think it's a little too late for that." A surprisingly deep voice rumbled from underneath the white robes.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that his clothes were made of a soft and light linen fabric that rippled violently in the wind. At these temperatures? How was this guy not freezing or at the very least shivering from the cold? Where did he come from and—

"Who are you? Magicians?" The masked figure demanded, grabbing my attention once more. "What Nome are you with?"

Leo and I exchanged equally confused looks.

"Uhh, I'm not sure who you've been talking to, my guy," Leo started, "but we don't hang out with any gnomes."

I nodded. "Satyrs or nymphs maybe, but no gnomes."

The mystery guy stomped his foot on the huge metal crate he stood on, eliciting a loud vibrating tremor. "Then what's with the ritual circle? I know a spell when I see one, even if it's as weird looking as this one."

"Hey!" My eyebrow twitched in irritation. If one more person mentions how bad my rune looked, I'd definitely lose my temper. "I don't know who died and made you king, but—"

" _Pharaoh_ ," he corrected.

I blinked. "What?"

"I think you mean to ask who died and made me Pharaoh."

He stated it so simply that I just stopped and stared. When I glanced at Leo, I could see that this mysterious stranger had him dumbfounded as well. There was something definitely not mortal about him, but I couldn't think of any Greek, or Roman for that matter, to ever refer to them self as Pharaoh.

Before I could respond or ponder this thought any further, the ancient rune began to glow with purple energy. The amulet in my hands seemed to tremble, and the souls within howled and wailed desperately, their haunted voices reaching a climax.

"Fuck, it's starting." Leo hissed in warning.

"What's starting?" the figure demanded angrily. His patience appeared to be wearing thing.

I locked eyes with Leo, and we seemed to have a silent conversation with our eyes. If there was any hope of succeeding then I had to complete this ritual right now, whether this stranger approved or not.

Leo nodded once before setting his fists ablaze. Milk Man's eyes widened in surprise at the sight, but he didn't back down. "Go, I can handle this guy!"

"Right!" My feet were already carrying me towards the crossroad. The rune was glowing brightly now, and the amulet shook violently in my hands. I had just under a minute left.

I just hoped Leo could handle this guy in a fight. There was something about his aura and seemingly unironic way he called himself Pharaoh that made me feel incredibly uneasy.

I fell to my knees at the end of the dirt path just before it became one of the forks in the crossroad, and my fingers dug into the dry soil furiously. With each second that passed, the shrieking spirits inside the amulet grew more and more restless.

The golden chain links in the necklace fought back viciously against me, but I managed to wrap the amulet tightly in the black sheep's wool before placing it in the hole with a quartz crystal point on top. My hands trembled as I scooped the tilled earth to fill the hole back up.

I closed my eyes and outstretched my palms over the mound of dirt, focusing intently on getting the incantation exactly right. Ancient Greek spilled from my lips like honey, and a familiar feeling of magic energy electrified my senses.

Gods, this was it. . .

The moment I become all powerful. . .

 **LEO'S POV**

Kori took off running towards the crossroad, her pink curls flying around wildly in the heavy winds **.** Damn, I sure hope she can pull this off.

A deep chuckle emanating from the mystery dude reminded me what I was here to do. "Ah, so you're a fire elemental? I knew you were magicians."

It was my turn to laugh. "The only magic I know is the ancient art of seducing ladies." My eyes examined his weird getup. "Guessing you're not very familiar with that, huh?"

That seemed to get under his skin. His eyes, a shockingly bright honey brown, glared daggers at me. I tensed as he reached a hand out to his side, watching in awe as he pulled a peculiar curved sword from seemingly nowhere. Milk Man also produced a strange boomerang looking thing from his robes.

My brows knit together, and I had to admit, this piqued my interest. I've never seen a weapon anything like that before. Its golden blade was bent in an odd and unfamiliar way, making it look like a question mark.

"Who bent up your sword like that, bro?" I asked with genuine curiosity.

Milk Man growled in irritation. "It's a _khopesh_ , idiot. It's supposed to look like this."

" _Khopesh?"_ I repeated, but the word sounded strange and foreign in my mouth. It couldn't be of Greek origin.

With a ripple of fabric, the guy leapt down from the crate and landed with a crunch of gravel about a foot in front of me.

He pointed his _khopesh_ at my heart, and his eyes were deadly serious. "I'm beginning to lose my patience. I'll ask you one more time. State your name and your business."

Unfortunately for him, that whole intimidation thing only served to piss me off.

I allowed the fire in my palms to travel up the length of my arms until my whole body was engulfed in wild, crackling flames. The mysterious stranger took a step back from the intense heat radiating off of my body, but didn't lower his weapon.

"I already told you," I began through gritted teeth, "I'm in the business of getting bitches."

"You insolent—" The guy lunged at me and slashed his weird sword nearly inches from my face. If I hadn't rolled out of the way, he would've taken me out just like that. I cursed my luck.

He was fast.

I blasted fireballs from my fists like I was throwing punches in a boxing ring. One, two, one, two. To my utter shock and disbelief, he was able to deflect my first two fireballs using his sword. The third and fourth grazed his shoulder blade and cheekbone respectively.

A curse in an unfamiliar language, not English, Spanish, or even Greek, escaped his lips, and he clutched his shoulder with his blade hand. The shawl disguising his identity was singed, exposing the right half of his face, and my eyes scanned it quickly.

He looked about my age, 20 or maybe 21 at the oldest, dark russet brown skin, and those intense, shiny golden brown eyes. He had a strange tattoo design around his right eye that I could almost swear I've seen before somewhere.

Oh yeah, and he looked utterly ticked off at me.

" _Khefa_ ," he muttered.

"Sorry, what the shit you just call me?"

Just then, a symbol of a fist blazed in the air between us. A giant fist the size of a dishwasher shimmered into existence and slammed me in the chest. I was sent flying through the air and crashed hard against a metal shipping container.

I wheezed, having the wind knocked out of me so forcefully had quenched my flames. When my eyes were able to focus, I could see Kori only a few yards away chanting something intelligible and glowing with purple light.

Mr. Fister (the name popped into my head suddenly and I both loved and hated it) approached me with a menacing look in his eye, but stopped short when he spotted the pink haired girl before taking off in her direction.

"Fuck!" I struggled to my feet, still too breathless to even shout a warning. Not like I'd get there in time— whoever this guy was he was insanely fast. And what the hell was that attack just now?

Despite the pain in my chest, I raced after him, igniting my whole body into a huge firestorm. There was no time to think, right now I had to act. If he interrupted the ritual, then all of our hard work would be for nothing.

He raised the ivory boomerang and pointed it at Kori's back.


	5. Ch4: Concerning Confrontation

**KORI'S POV**

A blast of energy hit me in the back suddenly, and I felt every cell in my body scream in agony. I cried out in pain, and the purple glow around me faded.

A dissatisfied voice chimed in my head.

 _~Aww time's up, dear! Better luck next time.~_

 _No! No!_ My mind screamed in disbelief.

I whipped around, and my eyes met angry bright golden orbs just a foot from my face. I recognized the white robes blowing in the harsh wind, but there were singed holes at the shoulder, and his shawl had burned to mere tatters. Just as the thought popped into my head, he raised a hand and tore the ruined fabric from around his face.

My legs threatened to give out as my eyes took in the sight, and I bit my lip to keep from letting out a "daaaaayummm".

Because gods as my witness _, he was fine as fuck_.

A thick but short black beard carved out an amazing jawline that stood out against his white linen clothes. His lips looked soft, full, and kissable; dark skin that glowed warmly in the moonlight; thick black eyebrows etched into what I assumed was a permanent scowl. His black hair was wild and curly, longer at the top and tapered down the sides.

What caught my attention the most, though, was the curious black tattoo beneath his right eye. It looked foreign to me, yet I could almost swear I recognized the symbol from somewhere. It looked like this:

?

"Oh, so you're just gonna ignore me?" He growled, snapping me out of my daze and bringing me back to reality.

My cheeks burned in embarrassment when I realized he must've said something to me while I was busy ogling him.

Before I could form a response, the small mound of soil at my feet erupted like lava from a volcano. We were both thrown aside by the force of the blast. I coughed up dirt and felt a warm hand grip my shoulder.

Leo's face held unreadable expression, eyes focused on something past me. I followed his gaze and felt my stomach lurch.

The amulet was floating in the air, shaking violently, the souls' howling voices a deafening sound in my head. A huge crack formed along the ruby, spidering all over the gem's surface before it shattered. Haunting laughter filled the air, and three ghostly wraiths broke free, each flying away in a different direction.

I didn't know if it was from the cold or from the sinking feeling of worthlessness in my gut, but my whole body went numb. The air became thin, and I found it suddenly hard to breathe.

 _We failed._

 _ **I failed.**_

"What was that?" The guy who called himself the Pharaoh scrambled to his feet, eyes scanning the skyline hopelessly before glaring in our direction. "What have you fools done?"

"What _we've_ done?!" Leo shouted angrily. "You ruined everything!"

I stood up, clenching my fists. My eyes burned with frustration and disappointment, but I swallowed those emotions and glared at the dark skinned guy. Initially, I didn't want to fight with him because there wasn't enough time.

But now that he ruined everything that Leo and I had worked for the past few weeks... I couldn't wait to get my hands on him.

"You have the fucking _**balls**_ to call us fools," I grabbed my whip and cracked it in the air, a stream of purple sparks shooting from the end. "But you're the one who who stuck your nose where it didn't belong."

"Ohhh, you're in for it now!" Leo grinned devilishly and set his hands and feet ablaze. "You should've just minded your own business."

"If it goes down in Brooklyn, it _is_ my business." He said firmly, pointing a strange white boomerang at me. It sparked with white energy, and I quickly deduced that it's what he must've used to attack me and interrupt the ritual at the last second.

 _And ruin everything._

The thought set me over the edge, and I screamed as I charged at him, my amethyst whip glowing with purple magic. Anger clouded my vision until I was literally seeing purple. _**FISK! FISK! FISK!**_ I snapped and cracked my whip left and right, but he easily dodged each attack, ducking, rolling, and jumping away smoothly.

 _Damn, he's fast._

"Kori, grab him!" Leo shouted, shooting fireballs from a distance.

"I'm fucking trying!" I panted, and a bead of sweat rolled down my forehead. I screamed again in rage and another burst of magic exploded from the tip of my whip.

This clearly wasn't working. I couldn't keep up with this guy. The Pharaoh guy laughed at my outburst, standing just out of range, barely breaking a sweat. My anger seemed to only amuse him further.

He grinned, and his low voice rumbled from his chest. "Sorry, but it looks like I'm too fast for ya."

Ignoring his taunts, I took a deep breath, humming with energy.

I willed the Mist to bend and twist as I pleased, changing the fabric of reality in a small bubble around us. If I could just get inside his head for a minute, it would be long enough to confuse and disorient him so Leo could land an attack.

It was risky though, because I had to focus intensely to cast the illusion and it might leave me open to counterattack. However, The Pharaoh kept his distance, using his curved blade to easily deflect Leo's fireballs while keeping his eyes on me, waiting, watching. He seemed curious as to what I'd try next.

I smirked.

 _This'll wipe that smug grin off his face._

I muttered an Ancient Greek phrase, the incantation for _fear_ , and almost immediately I saw a difference. His warrior stance faltered, and he wobbled on his feet. His eyes that had just held intensity, focus, and arrogance, now looked bewildered and panicked.

To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what he was seeing, but his golden brown eyes turned purple, signaling he was trapped inside my illusion. I flicked my whip in his direction, and it wrapped around his body tightly with no resistance whatsoever.

I tugged on the whip, and he was brought to his knees, his eyes still looking around wildly, seeing things that weren't really there. My fury manifested itself as a powerful surge of energy traveling down the length of the whip, electrifying his body with purple magic. He cried out in pain and fell on his face.

A wicked smile spread across my lips.

Whoever said that revenge wasn't worth the effort clearly didn't know what they were talking about, if you ask me.

Leo waltzed up to my side, and his eyes held no compassion. He lifted a scorching palm towards the Pharaoh, ready to burn him alive.

That's when shit completely hit the fan.

The air crackled with energy, and the Pharaoh guy let loose a low, deep growl.

A glowing blue exoskeleton formed around him, stretching my whip until I was forced to release him or risk it being destroyed by his sheer power. The exoskeleton lifted him off the ground until he was suspended in the middle of a twenty foot tall hawk headed warrior.

My breath hitched in my throat.

 _What the hell was he?_

The Pharaoh lifted his arm, and the exoskeleton followed his actions, raising a glowing blue sword high in the air.

"Holy Hephaestus!" Leo yelped and shoved me out of the way, our tangled bodies slamming onto the ground narrowly missing the giant magical blade.

My heart pounded faster and faster in my chest. As a daughter of Hekate, I could sense people's auras and energies— that's how I was able to notice this guy back on the bridge. His aura was like a strong electromagnetic wave, and I could swear it had a gravitational pull, too, because I was drawn to it.

But in this form it was like an overwhelming force, surrounding me, consuming me, making me feel oh so small. It was as if this huge blue beast was commanding all of my cells to kneel to him, to submit. It made my whole body tremble.

I couldn't believe his power.

If it weren't for Leo calling my name and tugging on my limbs, I'd probably be frozen on the spot in awe.

"Kori! Kori, come on!" Leo practically dragged me to my feet. "We've gotta get outta here." He blasted fire at the glowing blue giant, but they seemed to do no damage to him in this form.

I mumbled something in agreement, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the giant warrior—even as it swung its huge sword in our direction again. It came crashing down on a metal shipping crate only a few inches from me, slicing it in two like a stick of butter.

"Begone!" Pharaoh boomed, his voice sounded different somehow as if it were in two dimensions at once. "Get out of here or I'll kill you where you stand!"

Leo didn't wait around to see if the guy was serious or not. He grabbed my hand and held it in a vice grip, running away at full speed. He'd drag me away if he had to, and I struggled to keep up with his pace.

Despite everything, I had to look back over my shoulder and take one last look at the... gods, I didn't know what to call it.

In the center of the huge glowing exoskeleton was the Pharaoh, gazing intently at me. When our eyes locked, he cocked his head to the side, and a wicked grin spread across his face.

It chilled me to my core.


	6. Ch5: Blowing off Steam

**LEO'S POV**

Anger was an understatement.

It was obvious when the two of us returned to camp that we failed.

It was etched onto our faces, it was laced in our words, and it was clouded in our auras. Demigods took one glance in our direction and avoided our gaze or scurried away. Even our friends didn't know what to say to us.

I stared down in agitation and shame having to hear Kori retell the events that had just transpired while her sister Neviah and Piper listened in horror and disbelief.

We sat at our usual booth in Pegasus Heart, a popular pub for young bounty hunters at Half-blood HQ. I didn't feel like talking. Instead, I sipped my whiskey and immersed myself in the only kind of burn that I was capable of feeling.

"Gods, you two are lucky to be alive." Piper sat beside me, and her kaleidoscope eyes looked on the verge of tears. I squeezed her hand in attempt at consoling her, and she gave me a weak smile.

Neviah, a slim Asian girl with teal hair twirled her glass of red wine before taking a slow sip, gazing into the blood colored liquid. "Gods, I knew I shouldn't have let you two go alone."

I groaned.

 _Here we fucking go._

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kori's voice was tight, and she slammed her mixed drink down a little too hard. "You don't think I can handle anything—"

"You know it's not that!" The older sister snapped. It was rare to see her lose her cool like this. "I don't know if you two noticed, but it's fucking _war_ out there. More demigods means less bounties to go around and more fighting."

"And more killing," Piper said bitterly from behind her choppy brown bangs.

A silence fell upon the table. I took another swig of whiskey, and my throat burned as it went down. Warmth spread across my chest, and I welcomed the lightheaded feeling creeping up my senses.

"I just wish I knew who the guy was," Kori said finally with a sigh.

"Not who, _what_." I muttered, and the pink haired girl nodded in agreement.

"Hmm," Neviah took another long sip of wine. "I'll see what I can find out about that symbol he's got tatted on his eye. I've just got a feeling it's significant."

Kori's sparkling eyes lit up. "Really? Oh my gosh! Thank you!" She hugged her sister and smiled for the first time since we made it back to HQ. She looked at me and bit her lip, and... was that a blush on her cheeks?

My eyebrow quirked. I sat up a little straighter and took a quick glance at the table, counting the glasses.

Piper was the only one still on her first drink. Neviah and I were on our second glasses, but I was drinking liquor, so I figured I was a bit further down the line than she was. Kori on the other hand was already on her third mixed drink.

I couldn't help but grin.

I loved Three Drink Kori. She was excitable, flirty, and would dance to almost anything. Not to mention the pink tint on her cheeks was by far the cutest thing ever.

As if on cue, the rosy cheeked girl began to get restless. "Lemme outta this booth! I wanna danceeee~!" She shimmied in her seat, and the table laughed lightheartedly.

I was already forgetting how awful I felt earlier. With a smile, I waved down our waitress to order everyone another round.

~~~~~~~~ A FEW HOURS LATER ~~~~~~~~~

Though we had arrived with bad attitudes and heavy hearts, by now everyone was smiling brightly and enjoying themselves.

No lie, I was definitely starting to feel the liquor. Colors blurred and danced in my vision, and my body felt warm and tingly all over. I spotted Neviah and Piper at the bar, but I couldn't find Kori—

"Come onnn, don't be a puss!"

 _Uh-oh._

I hopped to my feet and headed towards the familiar voice before she could say anything to get her in trouble.

"Is nobody in here man enough to fight me?!" Kori threw her head back and laughed. She stood on a table trying to pick a fight with someone, _anyone_. Her cheeks were as pink as the curls framing her face, and she wobbled on her feet dangerously.

"Kori, get down from there before you fall and hurt yourself," I said. After five drinks, the daughter of Hekate was known to pick bar fights, and I wasn't trying to get banned from one of the last few decent pubs in Half-blood HQ.

She grinned wickedly. "Leo! Make me!"

I grabbed her legs and tossed the girl over my shoulder in one fluid motion. She squeaked in surprise, and I laughed. "Hey, you asked for it! I'm cutting you off, young lady."

Kori whined in protest, but I ignored her and walked to our friends at the bar. Neviah and Piper giggled when they saw me carrying Kori against her wishes but immediately understood.

"I'm taking this one to her cabin," I told them simply. "You two be safe, okay?"

Neviah smiled warmly. "Thanks, Leo, you too."

"Goodnight you two," the daughter of Aphrodite giggled with delight. What was she up to?

I left the pub with Kori in tow, no longer struggling against my grasp. Once we made it outside, I felt her shiver against the cold. I held her a little closer and contemplated making a small fire when that didn't seem to work.

"Don't worry, we'll be at your cabin soon," I told her.

"N-no," She stammered, "I wanna be with you."

My heart skipped a beat when I heard her say those words.

"What?" Maybe I was just tipsy and misheard her. Maybe I was just hearing what I wanted to. Maybe—

"I wanna stay with you, Leo. Please."

I bit my lip. This couldn't possibly be a good idea.

"Alright, mamacíta."

Fuck.

The words just flew out of my mouth before my brain could stop them. Kori let out a soft 'yay!' and went limp in my arms, presumably to take a nap. I pressed my fingers a bit harder into the flesh of her soft thighs, and she mewled softly. The sound sent an electric shock down my spine.

I carried her back to Bunker 9 as fast as my legs could take me.

"Maybe things are looking up," I muttered to myself.


	7. Ch6: Sparks Fly

**KORI'S POV**

I came to when Leo gingerly placed me on a soft bed.

My eyes fluttered open just as he was tugging my boots off. He smiled warmly, and I returned the gesture, taking in my surroundings. The memories of the last few hours came flooding back to me as I realized I was in Bunker 9.

"You can go back to sleep if you want," Leo said, rising up and kicking his own shoes off. "I was gonna take the couch."

I grabbed his wrist to keep him from going anywhere. "It's cold. Lay with me?"

Leo's eyes darted left and right, and he looked unsure of what to do. I could tell his mind gears were turning, but my body seemed to be acting on autopilot. I pulled him into the bed with me, sighing contently as his warmth engulfed me almost immediately.

"So warm," I murmured softly, wrapping my arms and legs around him. He was like a heat lamp in a blizzard, and I couldn't get enough.

Leo shuddered, and I looked up at him with concern. Was he cold too? His chocolate brown eyes locked onto mine, something darker and more primal stirring there. It made me warm, but in a different way, deep in my chest. I bit my lip, trying to read his expression.

"Fuck, Kori," Leo breathed almost exasperatedly. "Why are you so... so..."

"So what?" I asked innocently, watching his lips carefully for his next words.

But he didn't say anything more.

He just grabbed my chin and pressed his lips to mine. It caught me completely by surprise, but it didn't take long for me to reciprocate the kiss. I didn't realize it until this moment exactly, but I wanted him desperately. It made sense to me now, why I always found myself staring at his lips and getting lost in his eyes. The fire user was dreamy as hell, and his lips burned deliciously on my skin.

I moaned softly when his tongue slipped into my mouth, exploring the new territory with excitement. Our tongues danced and twirled together, and my heart rate accelerated until I thought it might pop. He tasted like whiskey and candy, and I felt myself getting intoxicated all over again.

Finally we broke apart for air, but Leo wasn't trying to rest. He peppered kisses up and down my neck until he found the spot that made me flood with soft mewls and whimpers. Once he'd found it, Leo attacked my sensitive spot with nibbles and kisses, and I bit my lip to keep from moaning aloud.

His hands which were resting on my side moved inwards and grabbed my breast, squeezing lightly. Leo moved his hand underneath my shirt and felt my bare breast, tweaking the nipple between his fingertips. My breathing hitched when he tugged on my nipple roughly.

"Gods," I let out breathlessly, my whole body burning now.

Leo sat up suddenly, tugging at my clothes. His eyes were half lidded and clouded with lust, though I never expected the next words to come out of his mouth.

"I wanna taste you so bad, Kori."

I almost died right there. I felt unbearably hot, and my legs trembled with need. There was a possibility that I might burn up until there was nothing left but ash. With trembling fingers, I began to unbutton my jeans, but Leo moved my hands out of the way.

"Let me do it," he murmured, peeling off my top first. "Just lay back and enjoy yourself."

I bit my lip and nodded obediently as he pulled my jeans off. He stopped when he came to my lacy black panties and rubbed in slow, sensual circles, making my eyes roll back in my head.

"Mmm," Leo hummed, pleased with my reactions. He removed the last strip of my clothing and ran his eyes over my body hungrily. "Damn."

I blushed, but my face of embarrassment quickly changed to one of pleasure as Leo planted a moist kiss on my other lips. Then another and another.

I cursed under my breath and had to fight the urge to scream out in ecstasy.

I could almost swear he was better at kissing me down there than on my actual lips. He stuck out his tongue and gave a slow, teasing lick from the bottom of my womanhood all the way to the top, eliciting a low moan from within my chest.

"More," I panted desperately. "Oh, _please_... do it faster."

He chuckled against my core, but didn't go any faster or slower, he just continued at the same pace licking up and down. Before long, I was writhing and thrashing my head back and forth, feeling myself closer and closer to the edge.

I thrust my hips against his tongue roughly as I came, clutching the bedsheets. His name rolled off my tongue over and over as I bathed in ecstasy. Leo drank my juices eagerly before sitting up and wiping his face clean. He smiled lazily down on me.

Once I managed to catch my breath, it was my turn to sit up, and I kissed him passionately, tasting myself on his tongue. I felt his manhood pressing against my thigh, hot and hard, and I couldn't resist slipping my hand down to stroke him through his boxers. Leo groaned softly as I explored his thick member.

I pushed him back onto the bed and pulled his length free of his boxers.

"Y-you don't have to just because I did," Leo protested weakly, but his words transformed into a long hiss as I took him into my mouth.

I pressed my tongue firmly against the base of his length and dragged it up, slurping at the tip before repeating the process. I watched his face carefully as he threw his head back, mouth hanging open in pleasure.

I squeezed his base tightly with my free hand, and Leo groaned aloud suddenly bucking his hips deeper into my throat. His body shuddered, and he released into the back of my throat with no warning.

I swallowed and wiped my mouth.

"S-sorry," he stammered, still shaking from his orgasm. "It just happened out of nowhere."

"It's okay," I murmured and laid back onto the pillows, suddenly incredibly sleepy.

Leo pulled me closer to his body and snuggled into my neck. He gave me a smile and kissed me on the cheeks. "Night, Kori!" He closed his eyes and went to sleep virtually instantly.

I giggled and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep soon after.


	8. Ch7: Summons

**LEO'S POV**

I winced as I woke up, my head throbbing ever so slightly. When my hands outstretched in front of me, I was surprised when I felt nothing but empty bedsheets.

My heart fell. I was alone.

I usually didn't feel much cold, but I could tell from the cool feeling of the pillows and sheets that Kori was long gone. It was difficult not to feel the pangs of loneliness piercing my heart like an archer's arrows as I lie in the bunker by myself, the powerful wind howling outside.

Did I do something wrong last night?

With a deep sigh, I rose out of the bed and threw on some clothes. My eyes weren't fully awake yet, but I still trudged outside into the bitter cold morning with one thing on my mind.

"Coffee," I grunted, shutting the iron door firmly behind me.

After a short walk through the woods into the bustling heart of Half-blood HQ, I arrived at a small coffee shop buzzing with energy. Blue skinned nymphs with cute smiles greeted me warmly and took my order. Before long I was sipping a piping hot cappuccino and gazing out the window, deep in thought.

Between Kori, our failed mission, and that chicken head guy we fought with last night, my mind was more scattered than usual. I didn't even know which thread to follow, my thoughts were just pinballing all over the place in my head.

Who was that weird guy? Everything about him was strange. His tattoo, his dumb linen clothes, and that immense power completely caught me by surprise. He called himself the Pharaoh of Brooklyn, and I had no clue what that meant.

I groaned and took a sip of my coffee, the sweet cinnamon and caramel warming me up from the inside out. The heat within me reminded me of how hot I felt tangled up with Kori in my bed last night.

My cheeks burned, and I quickly took another delicious drink of my cappuccino. It was sweet like her. I still couldn't believe I tasted her softest and most intimate place. Gods, and I couldn't have ever imagined that she'd return the gesture. A low, involuntary growl rumbled in my chest as I remembered the way her lips felt around my—

"Aye! Valdez!"

I coughed and sputtered in surprise as a hand clamped on my shoulder. I'd been so engrossed in my own thoughts that I hadn't noticed the elder daughter of Hekate saunter up to me. She grinned wickedly at me from behind her black heart shaped sunglasses, and for a brief and horrifying moment I wondered if she could read my thoughts.

"H-hey, Neviah," I stammered and avoided her gaze guiltily as she sat down beside me. "What's up?"

She took a deep drink of her coffee and sighed in content before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a scroll. "Check out the reward on this bounty I just snatched up."

Internally, my heart rate stabilized. My curiosity piqued, I examined the weathered-looking parchment. My eyes went wide as they scanned the ancient calligraphy, and I nearly choked when I saw the number scrawled at the bottom of the page.

"Ten thousand drachma?!"

The teal haired girl laughed before plucking the scroll from my hands and stuffing it hastily inside her jacket. "Shh! Not so loud, jeez. You want every demigod in a mile radius to cut my head off to get this thing?"

"Sorry," I mumbled, but she waved her hand dismissively.

"I didn't just come here to brag," she took another long sip of coffee before lowering her shades to look me in the eyes. "You've been summoned to Mt. Olympus."

My stomach twisted into knots. "You're joking."

Neviah snorted. "I don't joke. You know that. You and Kori have been summoned. Have you seen her since last night?"

I bit my lip nervously, fighting against the scenes in my mind of the pink haired girl whimpering and writhing at my touch just last night. "Uhh, no... nah, can't say that I have."

She cursed under her breath. "When I made it back to our cabin I saw her sleeping in her bed, but when I woke up I realized it was an illusion. This is a bad time for her to run off by herself."

I nodded in understanding but said nothing.

Kori was known to disappear— it was just something she did. She'd go off on her own for days at a time without telling anyone where she was. Then she'd just return like nothing happened. If you questioned her about it, she'd become irritated and state simply that she needed a break from being a person, whatever that meant.

"Well, then you're just gonna have to go alone." Neviah said finally, her voice stirring me from my thoughts once again. "One doesn't simply ignore a summons from the gods themselves."

"What about Kori?"

The elder sister chewed her lip. "With her powers over the Mist, there's no finding her if she wants to stay hidden. Please, Leo, ask the gods to forgive her."

I gulped the rest of my cappuccino down and sighed, hot steam blowing from my mouth and nose like a dragon.

I stood up to leave. "Don't worry, I'll search the city today and see if I can find her. If not... let's hope I'm summoned by a god with a sense of humor."

The Asian girl pushed her shades back up, and her lips curled into a small smile. "Thanks, Leo, I owe you one."

"Just break me off a piece of that reward when you get back," I winked at her before trudging outside into the chilly morning air.

The sun had emerged over the tops of the trees, and the sky was a warm golden color. Young demigods and mature bounty hunters alike were already bustling about the cobblestone roads, busy with training and work. Even this early in the morning, it was loud and chaotic.

I pushed past people and made my way towards the large, formidable gates at the entrance. I only had a few hours to try and find Kori before the gods would become impatient.

The idea sent a shiver up my spine, and I quickened my pace.

 **KORI'S POV**

My feet seemed to move of their own accord, and I found myself in Brooklyn.

I kept my fur-lined hood up to shield myself from the cold wind trying to tear through my clothes. Underneath it I wore a cropped black sweater distressed around the neckline and hem with a pair of ripped jeans. My black Timberlands trudged softly against the dirt path, carrying me towards the warehouse district.

I cursed underneath my breath and ducked behind a crate when I spotted NYPD cruisers parked on the gravel. Yellow police tape surrounded a familiar area of wreckage. I recognized my own sloppy magic circle still scrawled in white chalk on a dented shipping crate. Another metal container was sawed in half. About a dozen cops examined the scene with bewildered expressions.

"Just my fucking luck," I muttered bitterly, turning on my heel.

I had came back to retrieve my backpack and crystals, but even shrouded in the Mist it would be difficult to sneak past all those mortals unnoticed. Even if they didn't see me, their minds would most likely fabricate another threat, and I wasn't in the mood to get shot. Not to mention my stuff was probably considered evidence by now and to be seen with it would surely pin me as a prime suspect.

I sighed heavily. At least I still had my whip. And my life.

Though I couldn't fight the anger creeping up the back of my neck like a spider. If I swatted it away, it'd just come back to bite me. I needed to find the guy who screwed my mission up and give him a piece of my mind.

I glanced at my reflection in a storefront window. The edges of my body shimmered and vibrated like I was in a different dimension, and my eyes glowed purple. I couldn't help but smile at my mastery over the Mist. Business men and women bustled about me, many almost walking right into me, not even noticing my shallow breaths just inches from their faces.

Concealing my presence over an extended period of time was draining though. I decided to get a bird's eye view and have a good old fashioned stake out. There was no doubt in my mind that I'd be able to sense the Pharaoh's aura when he came into range.

Then I'd give him a piece of my mind.


	9. Ch8: High as the Mountains

**LEO'S POV**

By sundown I'd checked all over Manhattan and Long Island, but I couldn't find Kori anywhere.

I had no choice but to go to Mt. Olympus alone. I stood in front of the towering Empire State Building, trying to muster up the courage to venture inside. After a brief internal battle, my feet reluctantly carried me across the threshold.

A security guard in a pale blue uniform sized me up as I approached the counter.

"I need to go to the 600th floor," I told him firmly.

He chuckled. "What are you talking about, kid, there's no 600th—"

His voice died when I set my hand ablaze in front of him, the flames licking at my fingertips. I quirked an eyebrow at him. "I've been summoned. Do you really want to keep the gods waiting, buddy?"

The security guard quickly produced a key from his breast pocket and handed it to me with a nervous laugh. "No, no, we wouldn't want that! I'm just following protocol. You know how it is."

I quenched the fire in my palms and took the key wordlessly, using it to enter the magical elevator. Once I pressed the 600 button, the elevator rocketed upwards, terrible elevator music filling my ears. With each floor climbed, I felt the pit in my stomach grow larger and heavier.

Before I knew it, the elevator dinged and the doors parted, revealing Mt. Olympus hovering 300 feet in the air above the city.

I'd taken field trips here a few times with other demigods when I was younger, but being summoned here was different. I had no idea what was in store for me, and I didn't even have Kori's reassuring smile to calm my nerves. With great care on the ivory steps, I made my way up the mountain.

Once I entered the city, I spotted a booth with the words _**Bounty Hunter Help Desk**_ etched in stone. A red skinned guy with shaved horns like Hellboy bared his fangs and beckoned me over. Reluctantly, I walked closer and realized this was his way of smiling. His name tag was printed in Greek: _Hi, my name is Jeff!_

"Let me guess, you're a bounty hunter?" His voice was gruff but his tone was friendly. When I nodded he continued, "What can I help you with, brave hero?"

"Uh, I was summoned here, but I'm not sure by who. My name is Leo Valdez."

He typed something into what looked like an Ancient Greek version of a MacBook. "Ah, Mr. Valdez... Hmm it says here the goddess Hekate requested your presence along with a Kori Anne Fillapelli."

My heart stopped. "H-Hekate? W-why does she want to see us?"

"It doesn't say, but you should be more concerned with the fact that your friend isn't here. Lady Hekate will not be pleased." The demon guy looked like he felt bad for me, and I started to feel sick.

He handed me a blue ticket and pointed to one of the palaces in the distance. "Lady Hekate is waiting for you inside that palace behind a black door with a symbol of a torch. Please do not keep her waiting. And enjoy your visit to Mt. Olympus!"

~~~~~~~~ MEANWHILE ~~~~~~~~

 **KORI'S POV**

Before I knew it, the sun was setting before me in a beautiful mix of reds, oranges, and pinks across the sky. I sat Indian style atop a high-rise apartment in Brooklyn, Drake and Rihanna serenading my ears.

I was sweating profusely and starting to lose my patience waiting for the Pharaoh to reveal himself. Using my powers to shroud myself in the Mist all day left me feeling fatigued and thoroughly spent. I'd shed my jacket hours ago but still panted heavily like I'd just run a 5K.

I reached up to wipe the sweat from my face, and my sweater caught on something by my ear. My fingers wrapped around a soft tube a bit thicker than a pencil and pulled it from behind my ear.

Surprised laughter escaped my lips as I examined the tightly rolled blunt in my hands. "Hey, I was looking for you!"

I chewed my lip and scanned the horizon. The darkness of night was already fast approaching. A few glittering stars peeked shyly from behind the clouds. I hadn't seen or felt any sign of the Pharaoh all day. Maybe he was too exhausted from consuming so much power last night. Maybe he was somewhere else entirely.

Whatever the case, I had to release my grasp on the Mist or I'd surely pass out from overexertion. A sweet kiss from my girlfriend Mary Jane would help me recuperate energy twice as fast and twice as fun.

I released the coil of tension inside my stomach, and my body eased back gratefully as if every cell had been holding onto a breath and was finally allowed to let it go. I shuddered with relief and stuck the fragrant cigar between my lips, fumbling around in my jacket pocket for a lighter.

 _A spark._ _ **A deep inhale**_ _. Herbal smoke filling my lungs. An exhale._

I took another long drag. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and a familiar yet indescribable feeling overcame my body. Time passed differently as I stepped into a tiny bubble, my own little dimension.

My eyes danced left and right, gazing at the trees and birds and people passing back and forth below me. Rainbows danced in my vision as I began to see the auras of every living creature without even trying, the marijuana in my system reacting and manifesting in my powers. The colors looked so vibrant, and they made my lips curl into a warm smile.

Before I knew it, my thoughts fell to Leo, and I couldn't fight the blush spreading across my cheeks. That curly haired son of a bitch sure knew how to eat. I'd be lying if I said that I had ever felt anything so damn good before.

Gods, he probably thought that I was a heartless bitch for leaving at the break of dawn like that.

Guilt gnawed at my bones, but I knew if I'd stayed he'd never agree to come search for the Pharaoh with me. I could just picture him now with that adorable scowl on his face whenever he tried to tell me off.

" _Kori, you're crazy for going after that chicken man,"_ he'd say _. "You're gonna get yourself killed!"_

I chuckled and took another drag, eyelids growing heavy. Leo was the one who didn't like to fight. He was a thinker. A builder. There was nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to get strong so that I could protect him and everyone else at Half-blood HQ.

Percy, Annabeth, and Nico were considered the strongest bounty hunters in our ranks, and they were all away on important quests. This was my time to step up and prove my strength to the others. Especially my half-sister.

Neviah was one of those demigods who'd been at Half-blood HQ longer than they hadn't. She was strong, smart, and taught me everything that I know about fortune telling. Of the remaining bounty hunters, she was definitely one of the most powerful and regarded with high favor by the gods. Unlike me— always screwing up and getting into trouble since I arrived.

My mind's focus changed again to my failed mission, and I scowled with frustration. The only one who could possibly be more angry than me about the screw up was Hekate. I shuddered at the thought of facing the goddess's fury, and I applauded anyone brave enough to face my mom when she was pissed.

At that very moment, a falcon flapped its wings and perched on the roof beside me, stirring me from my thoughts. Its amber eyes bore into mine, glowing ominously in the night. I stared at it, admiring the shimmering red and gold aura around its brown feathers.

"Hey cutie," I cooed, and it hopped a little closer. I noticed the bird eyeing the smoking blunt in my hand and laughed. "Oh you want some of this, huh?" I took a long drag and exhaled in the bird's direction.

To my amusement, it squawked in protest and fluttered about in circles. Then, it coughed.

I froze and narrowed my eyes. I've never heard a bird cough. Now that I think of it, I've never even seen a falcon in New York. It's mostly just pigeons and a few crows. _Never_ a falcon.

" _ **Dispel!"**_

Using the last bit of my magic supply, I cast a charm on the falcon to reveal its true form. If the bird had any sort of transmutation magic on it, my charm would disable it.

Just as I expected, the falcon was no falcon at all.

Its wings and beak began to tremble, feathers falling off of its body left and right. Within seconds, the small falcon had transformed back into a dark skinned guy with curly hair and a familiar scowl in white linen robes. He acted like it was totally normal that he'd just been caught spying on me as a bird. My hazy red eyes registered his aura, red, gold, and blinding as ever.

"What the hell?! It's you!" I'd be able to recognize this handsome motherfucker anywhere.

"I thought I told you to stay out of Brooklyn." Pharaoh plucked a rusty brown feather from his head and stood up.

I shrugged and grabbed my whip. "Ya know, my teachers always did used to say I had trouble following directions."

He grit his pearly white teeth, clearly not amused. Gods, I hoped he took my bluff. I was still too low on energy, magic or otherwise, to fight right now. I searched his face for a hint at his next move.

Damn, I forgot how hot he looked when he was pissed off. His chest heaved, and his sculpted jaw clenched. My half-lidded eyes wandered his body lazily, and I was able to catch glimpses of powerful biceps underneath his airy shirt as it blew in the wind. I bit my lip and wondered vaguely if he knew how fine he was.

I saw his lips move, but I didn't hear what they said. Maybe if I did, I could've reacted. But I didn't, and what happened next through me for a loop.

There was a flash of red light, and I caught a glimpse of his ivory boomerang pointed in my direction, then a cry of pain escaped from my lips. I looked down in shock to see red energy coiling around my body like a boa constrictor, pinning my arms to my sides and suspending me in the air. The more I struggled, the tighter my magical bonds seemed to become.

"Give me one reason not to kill you right now," Pharaoh's voice was low and husky, only inches from my face. His amber eyes were trained on my own, and I could tell that he meant every word that he said.

My legs trembled in fear. Yet despite my compromising position, I could feel myself growing wetter and wetter by the second.

"P-please," I managed, my cheeks burning.

"Please what?" He growled. "You released evil spirits into _my territory_ then have the _**balls**_ to come back the very next night. After I spare your life. I'd say you're fucking asking for it."

As he spoke, the pulsing red energy around me squeezed tighter, and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out again.

"Mmf... gods!" I was instantly breathless from the rough treatment. "Fuck— I mean... you're the one who... _hah_... fucked it up..."

"Fucked what up?" His gorgeous eyes searched my face for answers. "Were you planning an attack on Brooklyn House?"

"What? I don't even... know what that is!" I panted.

"Then what were you doing in Brooklyn?" He demanded. "Answer me!"

He was so sexy, and I didn't know if he was doing it on purpose, but his magic was pulsing and squeezing me in just the right places. My face felt flushed, so I could only imagine how red my cheeks were.

I couldn't meet his gaze and focused instead on speaking through my labored breathing. "I was performing a ritual... for the goddess of magic."

"Isis? That doesn't make any sense. Don't you lie to me!"

His anger manifested as a wave of energy from the red magic rope, and I screamed as the shock surged through my body.

"I'm not lying!" I shouted desperately. Despite my arousal, I had to look him in the eyes or he was never going to believe me. "Hekate! It was a ritual... for Hekate. I swear... on the River Styx."

The Pharaoh's eyebrows knit together. He still appeared unconvinced, and I was starting to feel like I might explode if he kept squeezing me like this. I could feel that my panties were soaking.

To my surprise, he muttered something under his breath, and the coiling red magic around me disappeared. I fell to my hands and knees in front of him, coughing and sputtering as air swelled in my lungs. My face was so hot and red that I couldn't bear to look at him.

"Who... is Hekate?" He asked quietly.

"I told you, she's the Greek goddess of magic," I responded, still avoiding his gaze. "And she's also my mom."

"What?!"

"Yeah, yeah, there's the big reveal," I muttered, sneaking a peek in his direction. I'd never seen him with so much shock on his features. He stared down at me like he was looking at me for the first time.

"So you're... a Greek demigod?" he breathed.

I took a deep breath and finally felt like my legs were strong enough to stand on. I looked the guy up and down, still not sure how I felt about him.

"That's right. And you... you're not Greek... and you're not Roman. What are you?"


	10. Ch9: An Unlikely Trio

**LEO'S POV**

Have you ever ate a girl out so good (that she left without saying a word, mind you) then had to climb a mountain and talk to her pissed off 20-foot-tall goddess mother?

Well, now I can happily say that _**I have**_.

As goddesses go, Hekate was easily one of the scariest looking. Her half lidded eyes were a startling purple, but just by gazing into them for a second she could ensnare you in an illusion for decades— if you even broke free at all. She had long black hair that cascaded to the floor in deep waves. The long gown she wore appeared to be made of the Mist itself; it was milky white and the hem was cloudy, the train disappearing into smoke behind her.

Her shocking violet eyes roamed my body curiously. My throat was suddenly dry.

"Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus," her voice sounded dreamy, as if she were sleepwalking.

"Uh, hi."

She looked down at herself suddenly as if she just realized she was enormous. "Oh my, this form must be making you uncomfortable. Allow me to slip into something... more suitable."

Her smoky white dress swirled around her like a tornado, and a figure about 5'3 stepped out of the cloud storm. My breath hitched in my throat.

It was Kori, wearing absolutely nothing at all.

"How does this suit you, Leo?" she purred.

I averted my gaze, sputtering incoherently. "Kori" threw her head back and laughed, and another tornado of Mist stirred around her. Hekate emerged once again, about 6 feet tall this time, still equally terrifying as before. A devious smile played on her lips.

"My word, Valdez, you should've seen the look on your face!" She pulled my cheeks apart. "Forgive me for toying with your little brain, but it's just so easy! And so much fun."

My eyebrows twitched in irritation, though I knew my ears were red. I tried to keep my voice even. "You summoned me, Lady Hekate?"

She pouted and crossed her arms, annoyed that I didn't want to play her games. "No, I believe that I summoned you _and_ my daughter. Where is she?"

Welp, here goes nothing.

"Kori didn't know that we were summoned, Lady Hekate." I remembered Neviah's plea and continued quickly. "I searched the city, but I couldn't find your daughter anywhere. Please forgive her. I don't think I need to explain to you how the Mist works."

"No, you do not," Hekate's eyes flashed with anger, but it passed quickly. "Bah! It can't be helped. I'll just have to settle for your company alone, won't I, Valdez?"

My palms grew sweaty at her tone, but I said nothing.

The goddess strutted painfully slowly to her enormous black throne. It looked like it was made out of shadows themselves. Hekate's hair began to float and blow around her creepily. Dozens of braziers surrounded the throne, and as soon as the goddess sat down, they all ignited with purple flames, casting the throne room in an eerie violet glow.

"Now then, Leo Valdez, it appears you and Kori Anne have failed miserably at the simple task I gave you." The goddess of magic eyed me with bemusement. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Once again, I wished Kori was here with me. But she wasn't. I was alone.

"Please, Lady Hekate," I begged, "we completed all the tasks that you asked of us, but our mission was sabotaged! Just before Kori could finish the ritual we were attacked by... someone."

The goddess sat up, her interest clearly piqued. "Oh? And who was this someone?"

"I'm not entirely too sure," I admitted. "He didn't seem Greek or even Roman, but he used powerful magic I've never seen before."

Hekate fanned her face. "Oh my, that does sound... _unfortunate_." Her eyes rolled back in her head, and I wondered if she was having a stroke or something. Can goddesses even have strokes?

The goddess's body went rigid all of a sudden, and her back arched at an awkward angle, reminding me of something straight out of the Exorcist. Hekate's body began to float in the air, and her face stretched into a silent scream.

Every hair on my body seemed to stand on end. My voice trembled with fear. "L-lady Hekate? Hahaha, you got me... Come on, it's not funny! Please—"

The purple flames in all the braziers suddenly went out. That's when an eerie violet light spilled from Hekate's eyes and mouth. She spoke in a voice that definitely did not belong to her.

" _ **Three paths converge into one. What has started cannot be undone. Traverse the crossroads carefully, guided by fire and the eye of the king. Will it be peace and unity... or the demise of us all that the trio bring?"**_

Then, as suddenly as it had began, the purple light shut off, the goddess fell back into her throne, and the braziers ignited with purple fire once more. It was as though nothing had happened.

Lady Hekate blinked, her purple orbs seemingly back to normal. "My that was odd. Now where was I?"

 **~~~~~~~~ MEANWHILE ~~~~~~~~**

 **CARTER'S POV**

"Well?" The girl looked me up and down expectantly. "What are you?"

It was the same chick from last night. She reminded me of a punk girl from some British magazine Sadie showed me a while back. Her curly hair fell around her shoulders like a pink cloud. She was wearing a black sweater that exposed her belly with just as many rips and tears around the neckline as her jeans. The freckles on her nose were hard to see under the dark blush. I had just almost squeezed the life out of her though, so I figured it was reasonable for her to be out of breath and red in the face.

She'd just told me she was the daughter of the Greek goddess Hekate. I didn't know much about the Greeks or Romans for that matter, but I've heard tales from Amos and Bast about other gods.

But I never thought that I'd cross paths with one— especially not two nights in a row. Though there was definitely something different about the chick today. Last night she was quick to anger and itching to fight, but now her brown eyes were low and mellow. Even though I engaged her first, she still seemed relatively peaceful albeit a bit ticked off.

"I'm Pharaoh of the House of Life," I stared at her blankly. "Leader of the 21st Nome. Restorer of the Throne of Fire. Eye of Horus... are none of these ringing a bell?"

"Uhh," she frowned and shook her head. "Sorry, but none of that means anything to me."

I huffed, slightly miffed. I suppose she knew as little of my world as I did of hers. After a moment of thought, I tried again. "I'm a magician. I follow the Path of Horus, Egyptian god of war and the sky." When her eyes lit up, I quickly continued. "I used to host Horus in my body, too but not anymore. It got... complicated."

That seemed to get through to the pink haired girl. Her hazy eyes glittered with excitement, and her hands flew over her mouth. "Are you serious? You're Egyptian? Wait, you used to host a god in your fucking body? How is that even possible?!"

I couldn't help but to laugh at her reaction. It was deeply satisfying. "Oh, it's possible. But it's super dangerous— when you host a god, there's always a chance that their power is too great for your body to contain. You can easily burn up from the inside out. Literally."

"Holy shit," she muttered in awe. "That's pretty fuckin metal. Hey man, at least you're still here."

I nodded in agreement, surprised at my own actions. Not too long ago, I was threatening to kill this chick. Hell, the night before she was trying to kill me. But it turned out that it was all just a misunderstanding. All of a sudden I felt stupid, rash, and incredibly guilty.

I stuck my hand out sheepishly for her to shake. "I'm Carter Kane. Sorry for, ya know, trying to kill you."

She looked down at my hand then back at my face before laughing. She shook my hand, still giggling. "Don't worry about it! You wouldn't believe how many of my best friendships have started with battles to the death. I'm Kori Anne Fillapelli, but just Kori is fine."

A smile graced my lips, and I sat down on the rooftop, letting my guard down for the first time in a while. "So, just Kori, what are you doing out here?"

"Looking for you." The look on my face must've been something else, because she nearly tripped over her words trying to continue. "I just meant after last night, ya know, you really fucked me over."

I looked at the girl's figure up and down shamelessly. "Huh. Did I? You'd think I would remember something like that."

"Ha ha," she said dryly before half-heartedly waving a fist in my direction. "You're just lucky I'm still low on magic energy or I'd kick your ass. You cost me fifteen hundred drachma last night! Not to mention priceless magic power."

I quirked a brow, completely lost. "What are you talking about?"

Kori released a deep sigh and explained to me how demigods over the age of 18 became bounty hunters were required to pay rent each month to continue to live in Half-blood HQ. This along with rewards of great power and fortune seemed to be the driving force behind demigods' desire to complete bounties. When I asked where this place was, Kori just waved me off and said something along the lines of "oh you wouldn't be able to go there anyway since you're not a demigod."

She told me that she was especially upset about failing the mission because her mother Hekate had issued the bounty. Her lips poked out in a way that I found utterly cute as fuck, even if it was a face of distraught.

I rubbed the back of my neck, another wave of guilt washing over me. "I'm sorry, really. I thought you were a rogue magician trying to attack Brooklyn House. That's where I live with the other magicians in this Nome." I explained.

Kori sighed again and twirled her curly pink bangs. "It's alright, I'd probably react the same way if I thought someone was attacking Half-blood HQ. It was just a misunderstanding. I'm still bummed about being broke, though."

She wasn't mad at me, and for some reason that made me feel great. But the dejected look on her cute freckle face bothered me. I wanted to see a smile on her lips.

"Tell you what," my mouth seemed to be moving on its own. "Since I ruined your last mission, let me come with you on your next one to lend my services."

Kori looked stunned. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

Suddenly I felt fifteen again. A blush crept up my neck, and I was stammering like a virgin. "I-it's no big deal. I'd feel bad if you couldn't afford your rent and got kicked out cuz of me."

 _Crap, why are my cheeks burning? What the hell has gotten into me?_

But then Kori's arms embraced me tightly all of a sudden, ceasing all thought process. She smelled sweet and natural, like freshly chopped wood, vanilla, and honey. Her touch was so soft, and the warmth of her smile actually melted my cold heart.

"Thank you so much, Carter! I'm gonna go and find a huge bounty right now!"

"Wait!" Once again, my body moved on its own accord. I held her wrists so she wouldn't leave, and her eyes gazed up into mine curiously. Was she seriously still flushed from earlier? Or was the blush on her cheeks something more?

I cleared my throat. "Meet me here tomorrow at sundown?"

She bit her lips, and the sight drove me wild with desire. Her juicy lips trembled slightly, and I hoped it wasn't from the cold, I hoped it was because she wanted me as badly as I wanted her right now.

But the demigod simply nodded and whispered just over the sound of the wind, "Sure. Sundown."

I looked into Kori's soft brown eyes for another moment. There was something about this chick... I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Perhaps it was because it had already been over six months since Zia and I broke up. Perhaps it was the way this girl looked at me with the same passion now as she did when we were fighting to the death. Perhaps it was just the curves of her body that made my hands and lips want to roam and explore every inch of her.

But the fact of the matter was this girl was just recently my enemy, and now I couldn't wait to see her tomorrow.

I stepped off the ledge and transformed into a falcon, flying off towards Brooklyn House.

 **KORI'S POV**

I have to admit, my breath caught in my throat when Carter walked off the rooftop. But seconds later I spotted a familiar brown falcon soaring in the air, and I exhaled in relief. Gods, that boy was just full of surprises.

I walked home, still reeling with excitement and hormones from what had just transpired. Not only was the hot Pharaoh an Egyptian magician, he was going to be joining me on my next bounty hunting mission. I started to come down, losing my passive ability to see auras, and I became suddenly aware of my own fatigue. Carter's magic had squeezed me so tightly that I found it difficult to breathe for quite some time even after he had released me. My body felt teased and tortured in all the right ways though, and my soaked panties were proof of that.

My mind began to formulate filthy scenarios left and right of things that could go terribly right on our mission together.

 _Oh no, this might not be such a good thing. What if I die because I'm mind fucking him when I should be focusing during a fight?_

I groaned and facepalmed.

That was a totally reasonable possibility knowing me. I remembered distinctly how turned on I got when he was trying to kill me, so would I just cream my pants next time he does something nice to me?

Suddenly I wanted to curse Carter and his handsome face and sexy beard and cute name that rolled right off the tongue. Who the hell did he think he was? Being attractive like that, turning me on like that, grabbing me close like that, and then not kissing me?!

 _ **Inexcusable!**_

As I entered the woods near Half-blood HQ, I spotted a familiar curly haired devil heading in the same direction. I hadn't seen Leo all day and so much had happened since the last time we spoke. Eager to share the details of my day, I raced towards him.


	11. Ch10: Check, Please

**LEO'S POV**

The prophecy played over and over in my head as I trudged back to Half-blood HQ.

" _ **Three paths converge into one. What has started cannot be undone. Traverse the crossroads carefully, guided by fire and the eye of the king. Will it be peace and unity... or the demise of us all that the trio bring?"**_

Hekate's terrifying delivery only made the words seem darker and more chilling. My feet crunched on fallen leaves as I entered the woods, mind running a mile a minute. I was so deeply immersed in my thoughts that I jumped nearly six inches when arms snakes around my waist.

"Gotcha!" Kori hugged me from behind. "Guess who~!"

I turned around, and I attempted a smile, but I think only half my face upturned. The freckle faced girl's brown skin shone in the moonlight. She cupped my face in her hands, eyes scanning the surface with concern.

"Leo, what happened?"

I sighed. There was no hiding my emotions from her.

"Oh, not much." My voice was laced with sarcasm. "Wait, there was this one tiny thing— we were summoned to Mt. Olympus! By your mom. And to make matters worse, she went all glowy on me and started prophesying."

"W-what?! N-no fucking way." Kori sputtered in disbelief. "Tell me everything from the beginning."

After I told her everything that happened at Mt. Olympus, Kori looked even more distressed if that was possible. She chewed on her bottom lip in that way that I loved so much. But it also let me know she had something on her mind.

"Where were you today?" I questioned. "I looked all over for you and had to take the heat from your mom all by myself."

Kori stared at the forest floor as she spoke, refusing to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry, Leo, but I went to Brooklyn... to track down the Pharaoh guy from last night."

The ghosts of flames threatened to spark at any moment from my fingertips, and I forced myself to keep cool. After a moment to calm my breathing, I asked slowly, "Why the hell would you go back there after what happened last night?"

Kori's brows furrowed, and she squirmed guiltily under my scrutiny. "Well, at the time I was pissed and wanted to make him pay for screwing up our mission. But then..."

My eyes widened as I listened to Kori describe her evening's events. Apparently the Pharaoh guy was an Egyptian magician named Carter. Irritation gnawed at my joints when she talked about him. Her sparkly brown eyes went all dreamy, and I noticed the blush that formed on her cheeks even in the darkness of night.

My eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "So you invited him on our next bounty hunt, huh?"

"Actually, he kinda just offered... and he's really strong, so I figured the three of us could take on a big bounty and rake in a huge reward." Her mouth was practically salivating, but I wasn't sure if it was for the money or the man.

I glared at the sky, cursing my fate. When I spoke again, my voice was gruff. "You think he's the third one in the prophecy?"

"Honestly?" Kori's voice was soft, and I could almost picture the wistful look she was no doubt sporting on her face. "Yeah, I do. Eye of the king... Eye of Horus... Pharaoh means Egyptian king... it makes a lot of sense."

I didn't know why, but my eyes seemed to be clouded with envy.

I hated the way Kori talked about this Carter guy. Last time I crossed paths with him, he was trying to kill us for fuck's sake. I knew that guy was trouble the minute I saw him. Damn Milk Man. Screw him! It pissed me off how cute and flustered and flushed Kori became when speaking his name. I wanted her to say _**my**_ name.

A low growl of frustration rumbled from my chest, and I lurched forward suddenly, grabbing Kori's waist with one hand and tilting her chin up with the other. I pressed my lips to hers, unable to express myself in any other way. To my delight, she returned the kiss almost immediately, tangling her slender fingers in my hair.

I broke for air and guided her deeper into the trees, looking around our surroundings lazily. The coast was clear, and I quickly pushed her up against a thick tree trunk. Kori threw a leg around my waist and I pushed my hips against hers before attacking her neck with kisses. She moaned softly into the night, and the sounds were like music to my ears.

My hardness pressed up against her, and I bit into her neck when she began to grind her hips in slow circles against mine. The strangled cry of pleasure that escaped her lips nearly drove me insane with need for her.

I pulled her sweater up above her bra and kissed down the valley of her breasts. When I pushed the bra up and out of the way and took a hardened nipple between my teeth, Kori's body shuddered against mine. I couldn't help myself, I reached my hand down her pants into her panties.

I sucked in a breath with a hiss when I reached her gushy center. "Fuck, you are so wet down there... Damn."

The girl nodded, face flushed and eyes lustful, before pulling me roughly back to her lips. I kissed her deeply, tongue slipping into her mouth and twirling with hers. I was all too happy to appease her. Hell, I loved every second of it. I fucking loved how she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

My fingers pressed into her tight, wet little entrance, and Kori's eyes rolled back in her head, my name leaving her lips like a prayer. Gods, the way she said it made me want to tear her apart. I slowly pumped two fingers in and out of her dripping core, her moans fueling my movements.

"You feel so good wrapped around my fingers," I whispered in her ear before slipping a third finger deep inside of her. "That's where I wanna be, Kori."

"Fuck, yes," she moaned and clutched the front of my shirt tightly. "I-I want you there. Please, Leo."

My dick throbbed hearing her beg like this, but I shook my head reluctantly and pumped my fingers faster inside of her. "No, not yet... I can't. I don't want to rush, mamí."

She became breathless from my touch, but managed to mutter something about me being a tease before her walls clenched around my fingers. Her back arched, pressing her body deliciously against my erection again as she moaned and cried my name in ecstasy.

Unable to hold back any longer, I unbuttoned my jeans and freed my hardness from my boxers, hearing her gasp. I buried my face in her neck.

"Please, Kori, stroke it," I murmured into her skin. "I feel like I'm about to explode, oh please, touch it."

I could feel her heart pounding against my chest. Her small hand wrapped around the base of my manhood, and she stroked me slowly, deliberately. My breathing became labored, and I ran my hands over the curves of her body in the dark. I moaned softly in pleasure, and she quickened her pace until I was a panting mess.

"I can't wait until you give me some of this," Kori murmured into my ear suddenly, and I completely lost it.

My hips bucked wildly, and I let out a final low groan and spurted a stream of hot, milky white liquid all over her exposed stomach. Apologies spilled from my lips, and I quickly retrieved a handkerchief from my tool belt. The pink haired girl only smiled as I wiped her clean before pulling me into another passionate kiss.

After we both had redressed ourselves, I grinned broadly. "That was awesome. I'm hungry! Let's go eat." I grabbed her hand, and we made our way into the gates of Half-blood HQ.

Before long we were sitting at Pegasus Heart, talking happily just as we would any other day. Our faces were still flushed from previous activities.

A purple skinned nymph waitress smiled and came to our table to take our orders. "My, you two look like you've been having fun!"

Kori looked absolutely mortified, but I just laughed and said, "Yup! I'll take a burger and fries. Kori, you want shrimp tacos, right?"

The pink haired girl's blush darkened, and she nodded her head wordlessly. The nymph smiled politely again before heading back to the kitchen. I took a sip of water.

"What the hell, Leo?" Kori hissed. "Why'd you tell her that we were... _you know!_ "

I stared at her in confusion until realization hit me, and I roared with laughter. "Gods, Kori, that's not what she meant! Nobody but us knows what we just did. You've got a filthy mind, young lady."

"Maybe so," she murmured and buried her red face in her hands. Gods, she really was adorable.

"I like that."

As we ate our food, I thought about the prophecy once more, this time with a clear head.

I took a bite of my burger. "So, if this Pharaoh guy—"

"I told you his name is Carter."

"Whatever," I said. "If he's the third person in our prophecy then what do you think the rest of it means?"

Kori took a sip of her pink lemonade and wrinkled her brows in thought. "Hmm... I'm not sure. It could mean that we have to unite the three factions. Ya know, stop all the violence that's been happening?"

I snorted. "How are we supposed to do that? Greeks and Romans have hated each other for centuries. And this Egyptian guy started beef with us on sight, so they can't be any better."

The daughter of Hekate frowned. "That's true, but I think Carter genuinely feels bad for attacking us. You'll see tomorrow at sundown."

I eyed her suspiciously. "Damn, excited much?"

To my astonishment, the pink haired girl's foot began to stroke at my thigh underneath the table. She bit her lip, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"You're so cute when you're jealous," she purred, her foot poking closer and closer to my manhood.

I batted her foot away and spoke in a low tone, "That's not gonna work, you know I just came."

Kori batted her long eyelashes at me innocently though her smile was devious. "Aww, so you're telling me if I wanted some right now... you'd deny me?"

I could feel my blood beginning to boil and rush to the southern part of my body. The tent in my pants grew stiffer, and a naughty smile spread across my face, too. "Well, shit, that's not what I'm saying..."

She laughed and dropped her foot to the ground. "Ohh, okay, just checking."

I bit my lip, slightly frustrated. "Mhm, who's the tease now?"

She appeared to be undressing me with her eyes. The fact that she was so quickly ready to go again made me excited and lustful as well. I was just considering getting up and moving to sit beside her in the booth so I could play with her some more when our waitress returned.

"How are things going over here, you two?" She flashed another friendly smile. "Everything taste okay?"

I bit my lip and gazed right into Kori's brown eyes as I answered. "Oh yea, everything tastes delicious. I can't get enough."

The pink haired girl visibly shuddered, and she looked like she wanted to climb right over the table into my lap. I wished she would. Instead, she turned to our waitress, and I could feel the heat coming off of her body from this distance. She stammered out:

"Can we get the check, please?"


End file.
